Display fixture having improved article supporting back portion



Aug. 4, 1959 H. ,J. RUBENSTEIN DISPLAY FIXTURE HAVING IMPROVED AR'I ICLE SUPPORTING BACK PORTION Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Aug. 4, 1959 H. J. RUBENSTEIN 2,897,975 DISPLAY FIXTURE HA VING IMPROVED ARTICLE SUPPORTING BACK PORTION Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 4 L azz 226 525 1 12. M 5/7 15, 3/6 5/7 INVENTOR. fiar/yd/fiwemsfem r4 TTORN United States Patent @fiice DISPLAY FIXTURE HAVING HVIPROVED ARTI- CLE SUPPORTING BACK PORTION Harry J. Rubenstein, Kansas City, Mo. Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,268

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-4106) This invention has to do with fixtures for displaying articles of merchandise, and particularly with tray-like structure made entirely from wire or'rod-like stock cut, formed and welded into place.

It is the primary object of this invention to improve upon the display fixtures of my United States Letters Patent No. 2,167,375, of July 25, 1939, and my copending application Serial No. 192,041, filed October 25, 1950, now US. Letters Patent No. 2,698,690, dated January 4, 1955, this being a continuation-in-part of said application.

The most important object of the present invention is the provision of a display fixture having trays or pockets similar to those of my prior inventions above mentioned, together with means associated with the pockets in the nature of an upwardly and rearwardly inclined back portion for supporting the merchandise in the trays in an advantageous manner.

There are many types of articles of merchandise, such as books, magazines, cards and the like, that can be displayed better if the same are supported in a suitable tray in a rearwardly inclined position, but which require a back support because of their flimsy nature and inability of self-support. Furthermore, articles of this character are more easily viewed by a potential purchaser, selections can be made with less effort, the rack can be more easily loaded, and the articles are less likely to fall from the tray or become dislodged accidentally therefrom if the same are supported in the aforementioned inclined position and are provided with a suitable backing in the tray structure itself.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide an inclined back portion that may be advantageously associated with the tray itself by attachment to its bottom and/or its sides and rear, together with at tachment to a supporting standard for the tray, as desired, all for the purpose of presenting a back support for the articles of merchandise and for holding the same in a proper position.

Additional objects relate to details of construction which include the various ways in which the inclined back portion may be joined to the tray and/or the standard, as will become apparent as the following specification progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one form of display fixture having improved article supporting back portion made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a -crosssectional view, taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing the way in which a number of trays, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be interconnected in side-by-side relationship.-

Patented Aug. 4, 1959 Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of another form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line VII- VII of Fig. 6. V

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of a fourth modification.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line IX--IX of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of still another form of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line XI--XI of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of a sixth modification; and

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line X II XIII of Fig. 12.

The tray of the display fixture hereof is essentially the same in all forms of this invention, and therefore the same will be described only in connection with the preferred form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Tray 14, and for that matter, the entire fixture, is preferably made from wire that may be cut, bent and formed into the desired shape, and welded at points of crossing of the component parts thereof. In this connection, it must be kept in mind that in all forms care has been taken to provide for configuration and arrangement of parts so as to render the welding operation simple, fast, and therefore inexpensive.

Tray 14 consists of a single, continuous length of wire presenting a bottom 16, an upright front 18, a pair of spaced sides 20, and a rear 22. Bottom 16 is U-shaped, presenting therefore a horizontal bight 24 and a pair of spaced, substantially parallel legs 26 and 28. While the legs 26 and 28 are shown in Fig. 2 inclined downwardly as the bight it is approached, the degree of inclination may be varied in accordance with the desires of the manufacturer, the inclination of legs 26 and 28 being determined by the angle of inclination of sides 40 and 42. The front 18 of tray 14 consists of a pair of spaced, substantially vertical stretches 3d and 32 joined to legs 26 and 28 respectively, at their forwardmost ends. The two sides 20 of the tray 14 connect rear 22 vith laterally extending arms 34 and 36 on the uppermost ends of stretches 30 and 32 respectively.

The upwardly and rearwardly inclined back portion of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is broadly designated by the numeral 38 and consists of a single, continuous length of wire formed in the shape of a rectangle, presenting the inclined sides 48 and 42 aforementioned, that are joined by upper end 44 and lower end 46. In all forms of my invention, the back portion is secured to the bottom of the tray and, therefore, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lower end of back portion 38 rests upon and is secured directly to the legs 26 and 28 of bottom 16 forwardly of bight 24. The sides 40 and 42 of back portion 38 are preferably disposed in front of rear 22 of tray 14, inwardly from sides 20, and are welded directly to the rear 22.

A suitable standard is provided to support the tray 14, and there is therefore, illustrated a pair of upright rods 48 joined directly to the bight 24 of tray 14, in the form of my invention shown by Figs. 1 and 2. In this form, the upper 'end 44 of the back portion 38 is also connected to the rods 48 forming the supporting standard for the fixture.

It can now be appreciated that a plurality of superimposed assemblies, including trays 14 and backing portion 38, may be secured to' rods 48 if desired, and that the latter may in turn be mounted in any suitable fashion.

I A vertical series of trays 14 and their backing portions 38, mounted on a vertical wall or thelike through the medium of the rods 48, presents an attractive fixture for receiving many types of articles of merchandise.

In the modification of Figs. 3 and 4, tray 54 is precisely the same as tray 14, except that the sides 60 thereof are longer than the sides 20, thereby positioning rear 62 directly above bight 64, where both the rear 62 and the bight 64 may be secured directly to upright rods 88., The uppermost end 84 of back portion 78 is secured to the rods 88, and lowermost end 86 is joined to bottom 56, as in Figs. 1 and 2, but the sides 80 and 82 of the back portion 78 are spaced forwardly of rear 62 and therefore are not joined thereto, as in the case of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 of the drawing illustrates the way in which the trays may be interconnected in side-by-side relationship, and the tray 114 illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings is made precisely as tray 14 in Figs. 1 and 2. A polygonal, inclined back portion 138 has sides 148 and 142 that are inclined as in the case of sides 40 and 42 in Figs. 1 and 2, an uppermost end 144, and a lowermost end 146. A plurality of inclined, cross members 147, one for each tray 114, respectively, interconnect the ends 144 and 146 of the back portion 138, and thereby serve as backing portions for articles within the trays 114 in the same manner as inclined sides 40 and 42 of the back portion 38. The uppermost end 144 is joined to a plurality of rods 148 serving as a supporting standard; the lowermost end 146 overlies and is joined to bottoms 116 of the trays 114 in the same manner as in Figs. 1 and 2; and the sides 148 and 142, as well as all of the cross members 147, are joined to rears 122 of the trays 114 as in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the same are disposed therebehind instead of in front of the rears 122, as in Figs. 1 and 2. Manifestly, a similar arrangement may be provided for joining the other forms of this invention in side-by-side relationship.

Tray 154, in the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, differs from the tray 14 of Figs. 1 and 2 in that the legs 166 and 163 of bottom 156 are shortened to dispose bight 164 forwardly of rods 188 and slightly forwardly of rear 162. Back portion 178 is provided with an uppermost end 184 that is secured to the rods 188, and a pair of sides 188 and 182 that extend downwardly and forwardly in front of, around, and beneath the bight 164 to which they are joined. The sides 180 and 182 extend rearwardly at their lowermost ends from the bight 164 in extensions 167 and 169, respectively, and these extensions are in turn joined by a lower end 171 that is connected to the rods 188.

Tray 214 in Figs. 8 and 9 is identical with tray 54 in Figs. 3 and 4, it being noted that rear 222 is directly above bight 224 and that both are connected directly to rods 248. Backing portion 238 has a lowermost end 246 resting upon and secured to bottom 216 of tray 214, and a pair of upwardly and rearwardly inclined sides 240 and 242 that terminate at their uppermost ends in lateral extensions 243 and 245, respectively. The extensions 243 and 245 project laterally toward sides 220 of tray 214 in overlying, fixed relationship thereto, forwardly of rear 222.

Tray 254 in Figs. 10 and 11 is identical with trays 54 and 214. Backing member 278 is similar to backing member 238 in that its lowermost end rests upon and is secured to bottom 256 of the tray 254. Sides 280 and 282 of the backing member 278 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly, and thence rearwardly in extensions 283 and 285, respectively, that are joined by member 287 secured to rods 288 just below rear 262 of the tray 254. Outturned lateral projections 286 on the lowermost ends of the sides 280 and 232 are secured to the legs 266 and 268 of the bottom 256.

In Figs. 12 and 13, tray 314 is similar to tray 11 1 in thatits bottom 316 terminates at its rearmost end forwardly of standard rod 348. Backing member 338 has an uppermost end 344 and a pair of inclined sides 340 and 342 that are joined integrally at their lowermost ends to legs 326 and 328, respectively, of the tray bottom 316. The sides 340 and 342, disposed behind rear 322 of the tray 314, are joined to the rear 322 as in Fig. 5. Tray 314 is additionally supported by joinder to the rod 348 through the medium of a small polygonal frame 317 underlying the bottom 316 and attached to its legs 326 and 328, as well as to rod 348.

Tray 31 4 is particularly adapted for multiple use in a rack mounted for rotation on a vertical axis. An annular rod underlying and joined to bottoms 316 of a number of trays 31'4 arranged in a circle, forms a section of the rack. A number of such superimposed sections having their annular rods joined to a plurality of rods 348 may in turn be revolvably secured to a vertical supporting standard.

It is now seen that in all forms of the invention, articles of merchandise may be supported within the trays between the side walls thereof-and resting on the two legs of the bottom walls of the trays. The inclined rear portions may take various forms, as is clearly indicated, but in each case the article-supporting, inclined rear portion tends to hold the articles in a similar inclined position and serves to provide a reinforcing back for the articles standing in the trays. Regardless of the inclination of the bottoms, the articles cannot slide from the trays, because of their coming into engagement with the front portions of the trays, but as above indicated, it is preferred that in each case the backs be at right angles to the bottoms.

Manifestly, in each tray assembly it is contemplated that a series of trays may be mounted in superimposed relationship by extending the standard rods therefor, and that in each case suitable structure, such as in Fig. 5, may be provided if the tray assemblies are to be disposed in a horizontal row.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a display fixture, an upright standard, a tray consisting of a continuous length of wire presenting a U-shaped bottom having a horizontal bight secured to the standard and a pair of parallel, spaced legs extending forwardly from the bight in a common plane, an upright stretch joined to the forwardmost end of each leg respectively, the stretches being parallel in a common plane, an outwardly extending arm on the uppermost end of each stretch respectively, the arms being disposed perpendicular to their respective stretches on a common line, a substantially horizontal side piece extending rearwardly from the outermost end of each arm respectively, the pieces being parallel in a common plane, and a horizontal rear portion joining the rearwardrnost end of each side piece respectively and lying in a vertical plane spaced forwardly from and paraliel to the bight; and a continuous length of wire presenting a rectangular back portion having a horizontal lower end secured to said legs intermediate the bight and the stretches and lying in a vertical plane disposed forwardly of and parallel to the rear portion, a horizontal upper end secured to the standard above the bight and parallel thereto, and a pair of spaced, inclined sides secured to said rear portion intermediate their ends, interconnecting the upper end and the lower end and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the latter between the side pieces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 887,972 Sloan May 19, 1908 917,170 Short Apr. 6, 1909 1,359,125 Stevens Nov. 16, 1920 1,715,078 Whyte et a1. May 28, 1929 1,822,175 Snyder Sept. 8, 1931 2,167,375 Rubenstein July 25, 1939 2,302,188 Carrier Nov. 17, 1942 2,560,896 Rubenstein July 17, 1952; 

